To Kill A Mockingbird is laden with heavyweight themes.

Racial prejudice, the effects of poverty on the underclass and death are interwoven into a patchwork quilt worthy of keeping Mrs Dubose's legs warm while she chides and goads from her porch.

The book, and the play, is challenging, but if you are expecting it to be hard work, you could not be more wrong.

Instead the story, told through the eyes of Scout Finch, who on this occasion was played beautifully by Jemima Bennett, has lots of laugh-out-loud moments to break the tension.

The smiles come from the youthful innocence of Scout, her brother Jem, played by Harry Bennett, and their friend Dill, played by Leo Heller, as they try to make sense of an adult world riddled with contradictions and outdated thinking.

All three children put on powerful performances complemented by perfect comic timing.

Someone sat next to me who knows about these things said that Atticus Finch is the archetypal quiet hero.

She is right and Daniel Betts played the part perfectly - kind, gentle, intelligent, dignified, moral with a steely determination to do the right thing.

The rest of the cast worked ridiculously hard, taking on multiple roles.

They all take turns to narrate from copies of the book backed by the music of Phil King, adding to the emotion.

Zackary Momoh is compelling as Tom Robinson whose plight becomes the focus of the play as it builds to a climax.

This production brings the book to life and makes it real - so real, there were tears in my eyes.

To Kill A Mockingbird runs at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury until Saturday, September 20.

Visit www.marlowetheatre.com